Part 26 (2/2)
”Oh, you mean like the Mundane Internet?”
”Like it, perhaps, but not part of it. This is the dream realm version. We must seek it in the gourd.”
Jaylin didn't much like the sound of this, for all that there was no sound, just writing. ”Must we?”
”It is where it is.”
”But isn't that where all the bad dreams are? All the scary things?”
”Yes. But they will not hurt you. They will merely scare you.”
”Oh, that's all right, then,” Jaylin said weakly. She was trying for sarcasm, but was unable to rise to the occasion.
”I will take you there now,” Putre wrote. And before she could think of a pretext to protest, he was off at a gallop, carrying her along.
She grabbed the curly mane at his neck to hang on, but really there was no need; she was staying securely on his back as if in a coasting easy chair. They moved along until he came to a green gourd lying on the ground. Then he dived-how that was possible for a horse she didn't know, but he did it-and they were on a collision course with the gourd. It seemed to swell up hugely, and they pa.s.sed right through. She didn't even have time to let out a proper scream.
Then they were in a pleasant open forest, not at all frightening. ”What happened?” she asked, looking around.
”This is one of the dream sets,” Putre's speech balloon wrote. ”Where the elements of dreams are made.”
”But this isn't scary.”
”It's just background material. Dreams don't become frightening until they have effective plot lines. Every element has to be fas.h.i.+oned just right for best effect.”
”I suppose,” Jaylin agreed, relaxing. ”What now?”
”We must find the Web. We shall have to inquire.”
”Does that mean we have to find a scary thing to ask?”
”This looks like leprechaun territory. They aren't very scary.”
”That's a relief! Okay, let's find a leprechaun.”
Putre's ears perked up. There was the sound of hammering. He walked toward it.
They came to a glade where several little bearded men were working on some kind of platform. They were intent on their construction and didn't see the visitors.
”Uh, h.e.l.lo,” Jaylin said tentatively.
The nearest little man jumped, dropping his hammer. ”Oh! Don't give a person such a fright!” he exclaimed. ”You're like to turn a man's beard white.”
”We apologize, handsome leprechaun,” Putre's balloon wrote.
”Yes, we are very sorry,” Jaylin agreed. ”Your beard is such a nice shade of red.”
The little man looked at Putre, frowning. Then he looked at Jaylin, and the frown melted. ”Why, sure and it's a cute Mundane la.s.s,” he exclaimed. ”What be the likes of you doing in a place like this?”
Putre made a small speech balloon angled her way. ”He likes you. Maybe he'll help.” That was the equivalent of a whisper.
She nodded. ”I'm looking for the Web.”
”La.s.s, you're in the wrong set! Gold we've got, but no web.” He gestured around, and when Jaylin looked, she saw several crocks overflowing with bright gold coins.
”You really do have treasure!” she exclaimed, impressed. ”I thought that was just a myth.”
”It is a myth,” the leprechaun said. ”And we are it. Have you any idea how many people dream foolishly of gold they don't deserve? They never think of doing good honest work for it; no, they've got to try to steal it from us. Isn't that a shame?”
”It's terrible,” she agreed.
The leprechaun angled his head. ”Sure and I like the look of ye,” he said. He turned to his fellow workers. ”Anybody know the way to the Web?”
”Aye,” one agreed. ”I can point the way. But we have to test this set first.”
”So we do. But maybe this sweet la.s.s can help us.”
”Me?” Jaylin asked. ”I don't know the first thing about dream sets.”
All of the leprechauns nodded. ”She'll do,” the other said.
”I don't understand.”
”That's why ye'll do, la.s.s,” the first one said. ”You aren't prejudiced. If it scares you, it must be good.”
Jaylin realized that she had better cooperate, or they might not help her find the Web. ”I'll try.”
”It's like this. Pretend you're dreaming-of course you are dreaming, but you know what I mean-and you catch me and try to make me show you where my treasure is.”
”Oh, I wouldn't do anything like that!”
”I said pretend, la.s.s. Think of yourself as a big mean man who doesn't care how he gets rich.”
”I'll try,” she said again. She got down from Putre, and the leprechaun went back to work. This time, instead of greeting him, she pounced on him, grabbing him by an arm. ”Ha, I've got you, leprechaun!” she cried. ”Where's your gold?”
He looked cowed. ”Please, mister bad man, let me go! That treasure will do ye no good, believe me.”
”No! I want it now. Or else.” She had no idea what else, but it was the only threat she could think of.
”All right! All right. Don't hurt me. I'll take ye there.” Then, in a low voice: ”Don't let go of me, or I'll vanish. The bad men have mostly caught on to that by now.”
She had been about to let go of him. Instead she renewed her grip on his arm. ”Take me to your treasure!”
The leprechaun led the way to the structure, which was now conveniently shrouded in mist. Only a few bright golden coins showed around the edges of the mist, evidently fallen from some huge crock of gold. Jaylin knew that this was all a dream, and the money wasn't real, and even if it was real, she wouldn't take it, but still she felt a tinge of greedy excitement.
”It is in here,” the leprechaun said, showing an oval-shaped opening in the mist. ”Take a look.”
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